Monarch Flight : cancelled, claim, compensation…
Claims with airlines are a common occurrence in commercial aviation as with many other major industries. For travellers, sums up to £600 in the most extreme cases are attainable when a reimbursement claim is successful. From the first moment of the incident, travelers have upwards of six years to file their claim before it expires. Flight claims are typically caused by flight cancellations and flight delays are caused by the airline’s actions.
Monarch Airlines is a company that, until very recently, was a prominent figure in the UK sector of the global aviation travel industry. When it entered insolvency in 2017 out of the blue, however, commuters and trip-bookers alike were left not only high and dry but many were outright stranded. All flights faced cancellations, and bookings were rendered null as the company itself ceased to exist.
During and in the wake of quite drastic cases such as these, knowing and understanding your rights as a traveller is absolutely paramount. Being left stranded overseas by a moribund airline’s negligent method of ceasing operations is well past the minimum threshold of inconvenience. As such, it is within criteria to be considered for compensation by the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK. Because of the chaos, the collapse of Monarch caused, many have and still are entitled to compensation for their experiences. One important highlight of this fiscal disaster is the critical necessity for even individuals with insurance to be up to date and literate about their rights as travellers within and outside the EU.
It should be noted that even with functional, fiscally healthy airline companies, claims are seldom ever a straightforward and easy process. They can have some challenges, as it is in the airline’s best financial interest to dispute most claims. Sometimes it is the unfortunate possibility it may have to be taken to court to resolve the case and at last furnish you with your reimbursement.
While the collapse of Monarch occurred in 2017, by law claims can be made up to six years from the date of the incident in which you are filing the claim. While it is always a good idea to file your claim for compensation as soon as possible after the incident, this window of time is fortunate for anybody who was affected by such a massive disruption as Monarch’s insolvency.
If your claim is detailed and your case clear and concise, it can become all the much easier to settle the claim with the offending company. With special cases such as the collapse of Monarch Airlines, expert advice is never a bad idea. Idemniflight can assist in your claim in the most convenient and expedient manner possible. Don’t go it alone with your refund claim if you don’t have to; we are here to help !
Getting Compensation
If you were stranded during the process of cancelled flights across the board, or you were amongst the 300,000 future bookings that were wiped out by the broad cancellations, you are entitled to submit your claim for reimbursement with us at Indemniflight.
When an airline company cancels a flight and it adversely affects you, this constitutes an inconvenience caused by a direct action on the part of the airline company. EC Regulation 261, in effect since 2004, mandates that travellers may legally submit claims for strife and losses both physical and financial in the event of such direct actions by the company in question.
The most typical causes of these claims against airlines such as Monarch are indeed flight cancellations or due to the need to book an alternative flight to ensure reaching the intended destination as scheduled. Unforeseen accommodation expenses incurred on the part of the traveller due to cancellations or delays made by the company are also well within the scope of this compensation entitlement.
Compensation for Flight Delays
Under EU regulations, compensation amounts vary depending upon some different factors, such as distance and whether or not the flights were for travel within the EU or were non-EU flights. Due to the former reach of Monarch in terms of destinations, most flight cancellation and delayed flight claims are likely to be within the EU. Some, however, are of course from outside. Fortunately, compensation can be arranged for EU and non-EU travellers alike!
Airline travel amongst EU member states that is no greater than 1,500 km can entitle travellers compensation no greater than €250 when eligible incidents occur. When travelling exclusively within the EU, that compensation cap does a swift jump to €400 for that same 1,500km.
There is one major rule aside from this, however; Non-EU destinations that are in excess of 3.500km are eligible for claims no greater than €600 if the cancellation and resulting delays exceed four hours.
We understand that policy and regulation can be complex at times. At Idemniflight, we can help you every step of the way if you have any confusion about how much compensation your specific claim is likely entitled to. Again, always remember that claims can be sorted for EU and non-EU travellers alike !
When to Claim Compensation?
While you have up to six years to file your claim for reimbursement from any cancelled flights or strandings due to the dissolution of Monarch, speed is of the essence for the best results. As with claims with any airline both extant and bankrupt, you should file your complaint as soon as possible after the incident.
How to Claim Compensation
Travellers, fortunately, have a wide variety of options available to them to submit their reimbursement claims. When a customer needs to complain for their losses due to mismanagement by international flight companies, Idemniflight offers the finest traveller-focused guidance that is second to none in the aviation industry.
Due to the challenging nature of Monarch Flight’s status as a collapsed company still undergoing insolvency, there is no wiser of a choice than turning to us for your compensation claim needs. The Air Travel Trust Fund via the Civil Aviation Authority serves as the principle source of funding for repatriation and loss compensation when large airlines collapse, and with our advisory guidance, we can ensure you get your maximum entitled compensation from it.
Claiming Compensation: What Can I Get?
Scaling of compensation size varies, depending generally on the distance flown. Both cancellations and delays alike due to airlines’ decisions are common grounds for causing claims as they not only trigger immense inconvenience but also a greater likelihood of unforeseen extra expenditures and physical losses to compensate for it. Generally speaking, any out of pocket expense that is due to your airline’s delaying of your flight, you are fully entitled to receive a certain amount back as recompense.
Depending upon how long your final cancelled flight or booking with Monarch was before and during its collapse, you can stand to earn upwards of:
- £220 for journeys of 1,500km or under
- £350 for journeys of 1,501km to 3,500km
- £530 for journeys of 3,501km or longer
The cancellation or delay must have happened within the past six years, including the two years since Monarch’s going into administration for bankruptcy. It is important to note that these sums are contingent upon time duration and circumstances of the delay. Unfortunately, delays of three to four hours are more likely to see your claim refund be halved from the sums stated above. As an overview:
- £110 for journeys of 1,500km or under
- £175 for journeys of 1,501km to 3,500km
- £265 for journeys of 3,501km or longer
If you were subject to a delay during Monarch’s period of operation, you can make a claim generally speaking if you made it to your destination two hours ahead of the announcement from the airline of the delay. For those affected by the mass cancellations in 2017, you should be entitled to a full or partial reimbursement if two or more cancels occurred that inflicted financial losses and inconvenience for you.
What About Strikes?
Every now and again, especially when new fiscal budgets are beginning to be drafted, worker strikes can erupt in the airline industry. Indeed these can bring entire airports and airlines to a standstill until aviation unions and employers reach deals that resolve such strikes.
Unfortunately, strikes are considered by the CAA and EU law to be extraordinary circumstances that are outside of the acceptable grounds for filing a valid claim for compensation due to worker strikes being outside of airline company’s controls.
Fortunately, compensation is not impossible even in the event of strikes in some circumstances, however. Flight delays and forms of mismanagement such as your seat being given to a different passenger by mistake that are indirectly caused by worker strikes rather than directly still fall within the airline’s responsibility. While Monarch’s collapse negates this for its customers, it is still a very active reality for all airlines operating within the UK and wider EU.
Strike-related compensation cases can often be amongst the hardest and/or complex claims for travellers to deal with. Do not be daunted by this! Indemniflight is here and happy to help; our team is experienced in handling many claims issued for inconveniences and losses caused by airlines during strikes. We can provide you with the advice you need to make the most out of your claim and regain hard-earned money you deserve.
Who are Monarch Airlines
Established in 1967 in the UK, Monarch Airlines was a company that collapsed in 2017 after many struggling years of market turbulence and high operating expenses, with Boeing at one point assisting in its survival. The resulting financial shockwave was catastrophic. Its announcement of dissolution and entering administration left some 110,000 fliers stranded outside of the UK.
Roughly 300,000 bookings were cancelled as well. The bankruptcy of the airline and its resulting consequences is regarded as one of the largest repatriation efforts in the United Kingdom since WWII. Its collapse was unrivalled in size and scope for two years until the similar high-profile folding of the airline giant Thomas Cook, which dwarfed Monarch’s stranded passenger count by approximately 50,000 people.
For additional fees, Monarch offered hold luggage, greater baggage weight allowances, in-flight catering, and other services. At the time of its bankruptcy, the company offered 43 different international destinations. Destinations ranged from as far as Israel and Turkey to Gibraltar and prominent airports across the Continent, with many earlier destinations in the Americas and Asia having been terminated long prior to the 2017 insolvency.
At its height, Monarch operated all across the world and frequently offered charter flights before evolving into a budget-oriented airline by the 21st Century. Existential troubles to the company began to be publicly visible by 2014, and its holding company would change hands a few times.
By 2017, a myriad of issues were arising with the company’s operational license. At one point, the CAA was forced to extend its license by twenty-four hours citing financial concerns. Nevertheless, the airline’s final downfall that same year is primarily pinned by experts to a mixture of political uncertainty, civil unrest and terrorism hitting the greater tourism industry at large, and surging operating costs. The end result is one of the largest events in airline history considering the sheer number of claims filed and still being filed.
How Long Have I got to Claim?
Many people find themselves surprised by just how long they actually have to submit their claims. While filing your claim later may happen for a myriad of different reasons unique to your situation, each individual affected by an airline-caused inconvenience that is eligible for compensation has up to six years to file their claim!
Get Professional Help!
We at Idemniflight are always here to help when you have compensation claims. Our site offers a robust forum to browse the various topics related to your situation and similar situations others have dealt with, whilst our expert team is on standby to offer first-class guidance in filing your claim with the relevant party.
Don’t delay; open a new ticket with us or correspond via email to get started. We care strongly for not only for helping you get your compensation but also for providing for your convenience. As such, you can even still post your claim to us in letter form via the mail service straight to our postal address. No matter your preferred contact method, we are eager to help you get the most out of your reimbursement claim!
